The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Azeez Solanke

  • ITTF world juniors: NTTF to unveil team this week

    ITTF world juniors: NTTF to unveil team this week

    The team that will represent Nigeria at the 2016 ITTF World Junior Championship in South Africa will be unveiled after days of rigorous training cum trails expected to be concluded this week.

    The 18 players in camp are expected to fight for shirts in the ten-man team that will fly the country’s flag at the global tournament.

    According to the coordinator of the camping exercise, Segun Toriola, the players have continued to give their best in order to be part of the team, adding that the final list would be made known this week.

    “There is no doubt that the players are eager to be part of the team to the tournament in South Africa and I am really impressed with the performance of the players in camp and I am hoping that we will select the best for the country. However, we will organise trial for them to pick the best hands and this will be our yardstick to name the team,” he said.

    However, some of the players in camp include Amadi Umeh, Abayomi Animasahun and Azeez Solanke, believe they cannot afford to miss their places in the team having been part of the team to Algiers where the team picked a spot to the global tournament.

    The invited players were part of the team that featured at the ITTF African Junior Championship in Algiers where they qualified for the World Juniors, while outstanding players from the National U-16 tournament also made it to the camp.

    For the President, Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), Wahid Oshodi, the camp becomes necessary as some of the players would tutor on the latest rudiment of the sport. “The selected players will later go into close camping before the championship in November and they will continue to train in readiness for the competition. Segun Toriola will surely depart to his base after the camping and we hope the coaches around can continue to sharpen the skills of the players before the tournament which has Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria and Tunisia representing Africa in Cape Town, South Africa.”

  • ITTF World Juniors: Fight for shirts hots up

    ITTF World Juniors: Fight for shirts hots up

    The fight for places in the Team Nigeria contingent to the 2016 ITTF World Junior Championship in South Africa hots up at the National Training Centre of Lagos National Stadium.

    According to the coordinator of the camping exercise, Segun Toriola, the players are given their best in order to be part of the team, adding that the final list would be made known by next week.

    “I am impressed with the response of the players because every one of them wants to make the team to South Africa. For now we will still be watching them because we intend to organise a trial where the best will be selected for the world championship in Cape Town, South Africa by end of the year,” he said.

    However, the duo of Abayomi Animasahun and Azeez Solanke believe they would make the team having been part of the team to Algiers where the team picked a spot to the global tournament.

    The invited players were part of the team that featured at the ITTF African Junior Championship in Algiers where they qualified for the World Juniors, while outstanding players from the National U-16 tournament also made it to the camp.

    For the President, Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), Wahid Oshodi, the camp becomes necessary as some of the players would tutor on the latest rudiment of the sport. “The selected players will later go into close camping before the championship in November and they will continue to train in readiness for the competition. Segun Toriola will surely depart to his base after the camping and we hope the coaches around can continue to sharpen the skills of the players before the tournament which has Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria and Tunisia representing Africa in Cape Town, South Africa.”

    NTTF will cater for the players’ feeding and accommodation while their states are expected to offset their transport fare.

  • Olympics: NTTF plans celebration for legend Toriola

    Olympics: NTTF plans celebration for legend Toriola

    • Calls up 20 for World Juniors in South Africa

    To follow the footsteps of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) is planning a befitting celebration for the first African to attend seven Olympic Games, Segun Toriola.

    According to the President of NTTF, Wahid Oshodi, it behooves on the federation to honour Toriola for his giant stride in the sport while there are plans to recommend the former African champion and others for national honours.

    “The NTTF will definitely be celebrating the Legend with a series of activities in Nigeria. His achievements are so inspiring that we must find a way to say thank you to this great talented patriotic Nigerian. The IOC, the ITTF and the ATTF have led the way and we surely will ensure that we give him a befitting award. We are also hopeful that the Ministry of Youth and Sports will join us in this laudable quest. This will be done at a time to fit into his busy schedule.”

    He added: “We shall also be making a fervent case for athletes like Toriola, Funke Oshonaike Bose Kaffo and Babatunde Obisanya  alongside other remarkable athletes outside football and athletics be recognized when national honours are being awarded.”

    Meanwhile, the federation is poised to build on the performance at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games as it has called up 20 players made up of 12 boys and eight girls for this year’s World Junior Championship holding later in the year in Cape Town, South Africa. The camping begins on Monday, August 23 to September 3 at the National Training Centre of Lagos National Stadium.

    Teenage sensations – Abayomi Animasahun and Tosin Oribamise top the list of invited players. Others are Azeez Solanke, Amadi Umeh, Michael Abayomi, Augustine Emmanuel, Jamiu Ayanwale, Ololade Oyenekan, Tobi Falana, Etim Orok, Babafemi Babatunde and Umar Ibrahim made up the boys’ list, while the girls are – Agnes Onoja, Ajoke Ojomu, Alimot Ayinla, Rofiat Jimoh and Sukurat Aiyelabegan.

    The NTTF further said: “On his return to Nigeria from Rio, Toriola will lead a two week training session for the 20 junior players invited to camp for selecting the team that will represent Nigeria at the World Junior Table Tennis Championships holding in Cape Town, South Africa in November/December this year.”

  • Nigeria finishes second at ITTF Junior Circuit in Egypt

    Nigeria finishes second at ITTF Junior Circuit in Egypt

    With just four boys, Nigeria still made its presence felt at the ITTF Junior Circuit tagged Egypt Open after the West African giant finished second behind host – Egypt in the overall medal table.

    As the host – Egypt dominated the event claiming gold medals in the junior events while also sharing the gold with Nigeria and India in the cadet and mini-cadet events.

    In the junior team event, Egypt claimed gold in the boys and girls divisions while they also ruled in the singles and doubles.

    To be named the second overall best team, Nigeria inspired by Amadi Omeh claimed one gold and three silver medals to beat India to third place. India won one gold and one bronze medals.

    Egypt’s Marwan Abdelwahab and Mariam Abdelaziz won the respective Cadet Boys’ Singles and Cadet Girls’ Singles titles. Meanwhile, Rinad Fathy and Eman Taha donned the Cadet Girls’ Doubles crown with Hend Fathy emerging as the winner if the Mini-Cadet Girls’ event.

    However, both the Mini-Cadet Boys’ Singles and the Cadet Boys’ Singles titles finished in the hands of visitors from foreign shores. India’s Payas Jain emerged as the Mini Cadet Boys’ Singles winner, Nigeria’s Amadi Omeh and Azeez Solanke secured the Cadet Boys’ Doubles crown.

    At the final hurdle, Payas Hain beat Abayomi Animasahun (9-11, 11-3, 11-9, 11-9) in the one title deciding contest in the whole tournament that did not feature an Egyptian player.

    In the Cadet Boys’ Doubles competition Amadi Omeh and Azeez Solanke combined to secure success at the hands of the host nation’s Ammar Attia and Omar Elsafty (11-7, 8-11, 11-7, 11-4).

    Otherwise, it was success for Egypt with Marwan Abdelwahab adding to his Cadet Boys’ Team success secured earlier in the week and Mariam Abdelaziz progressing one step higher than her silver medal finish in the Cadet Girls’ Team competition.

    In events dominated by Egyptian players in the latter stages, Marwan Abdelwahab accounted for Ammar Attia (11-8, 7-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-7) at the quarter-final stage, before securing his place in the final courtesy of success against Mazen Farouk (11-8, 11-8, 11-2).

    A place in the title deciding contest reserved, the top step of the podium was reserved but Marwan Abdelwahab came perilously close to defeat. He trailed Nigeria’s Azeez Solanke by two games to nil, won the third game by the very narrow of margins before gaining in confidence to secure victory (8-11, 7-11, 13-11, 11-4, 11-7).

    In the opposite half of the draw Azeez Solanke had beaten Ahmed Elborhamy at the quarter-final stage (11-9, 12-14, 8-11, 11-5, 11-6), prior to ousting India’s Payas Jain (11-9, 11-9, 11-6), to reserve his place in the final.

    Tense moments for Marwan Abdelwahab; it was to some extent the same for Mariam Abdelaziz.

    At the quarter-final stage, she needed the full five games to beat Sara Elhakem, only emerging successful by the minimal two point margin in the deciding game (8-11, 11-5, 17-19, 11-9, 11-9). A semi-final place booked, she accounted for Waad Ibrahim (11-4, 11-7, 11-6) and Zeina Essam (11-5, 11-3, 13-11) to claim the title.

    Less problematic, at the quarter-final stage Zeina Essam has beaten Farida Badawy (12-10, 11-4, 11-6) before overcoming Waad Ibrahim to reserve her place in the final (11-4, 11-7, 11-6).

    Success for Egypt in the Cadet Boys’ Singles and Cadet Girls’ Singles events; also they enjoyed success in the Cadet Girls’ Doubles and Mini Cadet Boys’ Singles competitions.